Bat and Bird

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4Here is a series struggling to find a reason to be. Each book compares two animals and highlights the differences between them. The idea makes the most sense in Shark and Dolphin, two very different creatures that are often mistaken for one another. It makes less sense when comparing Bat and Bird, which have only flight in common, and Polar Bear and Grizzly Bear, two different kinds of the same animal. All the books are organized into two-page chapters that are cluttered and offer only a bare minimum of information. Photographs, captions, and "It's amazing!" sidebars are scattered around the pages; it's not always clear which facts go with which illustration. Each book has a very brief glossary (necessary because words defined here are not defined within the text), an index (not always accurate), and a three-title list for further reading. Concepts such as migration, pollination, and electrical charges are introduced but never explained, and some important information, such as how feathers help birds fly, are not even touched upon. Only Polar Bear has a map, and it is distorted. Many of the photographs are unclear and the few drawings are unexceptional. There's no need for choppy sentences just because a book is for beginning readers; stick with "Rookie Readers" (Children's Press), "Eyewitness Juniors," or other quality nonfiction titles for young readers.Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL